
The lion is the king of beasts, a symbol of strength and greatness. But it is also a hunting trophy of the most popular, making it an endangered species. Its main predator ? The Americans, who represent a strong and growing threat to the survival of these felines have become the biggest buyers of trophies such as skin rugs, or body parts such as claws, skull and bones. Almost two thirds of the 5663 lions hunted for sport in Africa have seen their carcasses sent to the United States over the past decade. These are the conclusions of a report, repeated by the Guardian, a coalition of U.S. advocacy of wildlife that calls for banning the hunting of lions in Africa.

"The king of the jungle is endangered, and yet the Americans continue to kill lions for sport, "Jeff Flocken alarmed, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which calls the White House to act. Because the number of Americans taken by hunters has doubled between 2008 and 1999.
result: in a century, the population of wild lions on the continent has fallen dramatically, from 200 000 to 40 000 or 23 000 according to some estimates, this would amount to a death rate of 80%. The lions have completely disappeared in 26 African countries. Only seven countries (South Africa, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) would harbor more than a thousand lions each, according to the association for the defense of big cats Panthera.
The penchant for hunting male lions may also lead to the extinction of entire herds, say the environmentalists. The disappearance of the dominant male could indeed trigger a struggle for supremacy among the survivors, leading to the death of other lions, and younger adults.
If the lions main predator is man, the Western hunters are not the only ones responsible. The lions are in fact also killed by local residents and workers in situations of conflict, both coexistence between man and the cat is difficult. Besides they also face pressure on their natural habitat, with the decline in wild regions, which give way to infrastructure or agriculture.
Nevertheless, all associations do not advocate a total ban on hunting. "If you banish, then the real danger is that you force African governments to generate additional income on their land, through farming and agriculture, which destroy the natural habitat of lions," justifies Luke Hunter, vice president of Panthera. A responsible hunt could then afford to preserve the species.
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